Improvement in mowing-machines



Q Sheets--Sheet Ll F. H. BRYAN. Mowing-Machines.

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2 Sheets--Sheet 2..

F. HAMA". Mowing-Machines.

Patented May l2., 1874'.

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UNITED Srkrns i FRANK H. BRYAN, on TROY, New YORK.

IMPRCVEMENT IN Momma-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 150,74, dated May l2, 1874; application filed September 24, 1873. v

of theeld for cutting forwardv and backwardl along one side, for side hills and other places where it is not convenient to go around the ield. It is also designed to eii'ect the changes merely by turning the horses and the truck around without requiring the manipulation of any part by hand, except the raising` of the catch-pin.

Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the reversing portion of the machine as it appears when in the middle ofthe reversing process. Fig. 3 is a section through the truckaxle. Figs. 4, 5,6, and 7 are details of the inside shoe of the finger-bar. Figs. 8 land 11 are details of the apparatus for causing the cutters and guards to turn over at the same time that they are changed from side to side of the truck. Fig. 9 is a section through the cutter and tinger bars and side elevation of a guard. Fig. 10 is a similar section and elevation of the outside shoe. Fig. llis a section, showing the connection of the weighted lever with the coupling-bar.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre-f spending parts. ,i

The drag-brace 4 of the inside shoe 11 is detachably connected to the axle to bedetached for shifting from side to side as the cutters are reversed, the connection being made by a pin, 2, passing through a socketed yoke on the axle, and `also through an eye in the end of the brace. A funnel, 5, is arranged in connection with the socket for the end of the brace, to receive the brace and guide it into the socket, and an apron, 17, is suspended from the brace 10 Vin such relation to the funnel as to guide the braceinto the funnel. The rod is suspended by a chain, 1S, from the hook- 19 on the center-post 42, to guide the brace from the funnel of one side of the truck to the one 011 the other side when the machine reverses, there being a funnel and socket on each side of the truck from one to the other of which the brace has to be shifted as the machine is changed. rEhe coupling-pin 2 is attached to a foot-lever, 1, by which it is raised out of the drag-brace, when it is required to reverse the machine. Afoot-lever is provided for each side. They are provided with a spring to cause the pins to drop into placel after the machine is chan ged. rlhe bar 29, which couples the inside shoe to the machine, is fitted, near its upper end, in a wide collar, 39, which is hinged at 40 to a swivel-bolt, 7, depending from an extension, 10, of the projecting part of the tongue 10, beyond the truck-axle, beyond the collar 39, and at the end of the connectingbar a weighted lever, 8 Se, hangs, so as to swing freely between kthe two ends a b of a collar made fast to the rod 20. The bar 20 is free to revolve in the collar 39 for revolving the cutters; also to oscillate on the swivelbolt 7 to accommodate the cutters to the ir,- regularities of the ground, and also to turi relatively to the truck for shifting the cutters from side to side of the latter. The cranked driving-wheel 28 is arranged on the end of the tongue, around which the eonnectii` bar 20 changes, andthe connecting-rod of tht cutter-bar is connected to it by a universal jcint, 29, 30, 3l, and 32, and it is coupled to the cutter-bar by a ball-and-socket joint to allow it to shift with the cutters.

To reverse the machine, thev front end of the tongue is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, after the drag-brace has been released by thet'oot-lever. This brings the .stem ot vthe weighted lever S under the extension 10 and its brace 13, by which it is turned downward, so that it turns the cutters up on the heels 16 and 22 by the time they come into line with the tongue, as shown in Fig. 2, and so that they fall vover on the other side, as soon as the tongue passes a little beyond the said line. The truck continues to turn until the cutters come into the same position relatively to the truck on the opposite side, as indicated by the dotted lines, Fig. 1. At the same time the brace 4 turns part-way round in the shoe 11, and at the same time swings over to the opposite side of the truck to enter its socket thereat through the funnel 5, to which it is guided by the apron 17 of that side and by its chain.

25 is a chain for raising the shoe 1l. It is connected to the brace-rod near its connection with the shoe, and passes up over the pulley b', hanging from the top of the standard 42, by the swivel c', and thence down to the adjusting-drum 43. The standard .is arranged in the center of the machine, and the pulley b is swiveled to it, so that the lifting chain will act alike whichever side the cutters may be. The little wheel 34 for the vshoe 11 is pivoted in a case or frame, 35, by an axle, 36, and the case is pivoted in a slot in the shoe by a pin, 37, to allow it to vibrate to a certain extent,vwhiclr is controlled by the flanges 35, between which the point of the shoe works. The object is to allow the shoe to drop nearer to the ground, whichever side up it may be, than it could on a wheel of the requisite size if the wheel were pivoted directly to the shoe. 27 is the box of the `balland-soeket coupling, by which the rod 26 is coupled to the cutter bar, said box consisting` of one stationary plate with a cavity for the ball, and one plate, also, with a cavity for the ball hingedto the other, and bolted fast to it after inclosing the ball. The coupling-bar 20 is jointed to the shoe 11 by the pin 23, to oscillate freely, as required, by the irregularities of the ground, and to make the joint rigid, so as to raise the guards by the chain 25 for carrying them over obstructions, and at the same time leave it free to oscillate while on the ground, and also to make the joint automatically interchangeable to the conditions required by a reversing-machine. A little button, 2l, is pivoted in the center of the space between the head of the couplingbar and the side of the shoe, so as to swing `freely on its pin, 24, and hang therefrom, no matter which side up the shoe may be, to be griped between the head of the bar and the shoe 1 when the latter is raised beyond' the limit of the vibration of tlie bar, relatively to it, and thus hold the bar so as to be raised labove the shoe. The button reverses itself on its pivot when the cutters revolve, so as to always hang` downward from its pivot. Both the inside and the outside slices, also the guards, are faced alike on both sides, to be adapted to run either side up. The track-clearer 15is pivoted to the outside shoe 12 in the socket 16 of a hood on the heel of the shoe, which Curves or inclines inward to hold the clearer to the proper angle to clear the falling from the standing grain; also, so that when the cutters roll over on the back of the guard-bar for reversing the track-clearer will fold under the guard-bar, and the latter will roll over it and be reversed with the cutters automatir cally, and without attention by the attendant.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of the coupling-bar pivoted to its support,the pitman-rod, jointed to the crank-wheel, and the drag-brace detachably connected to the truck, said bar, rod, and brace being also jointed to the shoe in such mann er that the cut-ters may be shifted from one side to the other of the machine, and also turned lover to cut inthe reverse direction by detaching the brace and turning the truck from one inclination to the other, in the manner herein described. I

2. The lifting-chains 25 and 18, suspended from a stan dard on the center of the truck, in combination with the brace-rod 4 of the reversible finger-bar, asA shown and described.

3. The combination of the weighted lever 8 8 and shouldered collar c b, with the couplingbar and extension 10, said coupling-bar being arranged to revolve on its axles, also, to change on its connection with the truck from side to side of the machine, substantially as speciiied.

4. The drag-brace, arranged to turn in its connection with the shoe, and detaehably connected to the truck by the foot-lever pin 2, and also suspended by a chain, for changing from one side to the other, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of the aprons 17 `and hoods 5, for directing the brace-rods to the sockets, substantially as specified.

6. The combination of wheel 34 and a selfadjusting case, 35, with the shoe 11,' substantiall y as specified.

7. The automatically-reversing button 21, with the coupling-bar 20 and the shoe 11, in the manner described, for making the joint rigid for lifting the guard-bar.

8. The socket 16, for the track-clearer, arranged to throw the track-clearer under the guard-bar automatically, when the latter rc- Volves, substantially as specilied.

FRANK H. BRYAN.

Vitnesses:

C. EDWARD Lern, OsoAR Fno'rsonnn. 

